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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25609096">Comfort</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaronlisa/pseuds/Aaronlisa'>Aaronlisa</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, Episode: s05e16 The Body, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Season/Series 05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:27:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>327</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25609096</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaronlisa/pseuds/Aaronlisa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Once she understands why Anya is acting the way she is, Willow tries to offer Anya some sort of comfort.  (Set during 5x16 "The Body." - The ficlet contains some dialogue from the episode.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Xander Harris/Anya Jenkins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Comfort</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Nobody will tell me," Anya tells them. </p><p>"Because it's not okay for you to be asking these things," Willow spits out.</p><p>She desperately wants to use this moment to point out to Xander just why Anya is so inappropriate for him to date. This is just one more creepy thing that she does on a long list of creepy, inappropriate and odd things that she does because she's really not human. And then Anya starts to cry. </p><p>"But I <i>don't</i> understand!" </p><p>And Willow is in shock as she looks at the other woman. She had never once thought that someone who had lived for a millennium wouldn't be able to grasp the reality of death or understand it. She knows that Anya had once been a human. And it hits Willow that how death was handled over 1000 years ago is very different than how it is now. </p><p>Xander looks at his girlfriend helplessly. Willow knows that he's so far lost in his own anger and grief. And then Anya is crying and trying to tell them how she feels and how she doesn't understand and she says something about fruit punch and Willow knows how Anya is feeling. </p><p>All that matters in that moment is that Anya is hurting just like they all are. Whatever petty rivalry they have over Xander is pointless. They may never actually like one another but Willow can't let Anya suffer alone. </p><p>"We don't know ... how it works ... or why," Willow tells her. </p><p>She slowly approaches Anya who's full out crying and she looks so lost and alone. Willow gently wraps her arms around Anya and tries to give her comfort even as her own heart feels as if it's been torn to shreds. </p><p>I just don't know," Willow whispers. </p><p>Anya clutches at her as if she's drowning and Willow holds her the same way. And then Xander punches the wall and they are breaking apart to go help him. </p><p>((END))</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>During a recent re-watch of the episode I just felt that the way Willow (and Xander) respond to Anya's break down didn't feel right.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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